3.1: Stakeholders & Feelings

This round, we’ve started to understand stakeholders in the context of our design choices. We’ve got our sights set on OU Recruitment Services, which reaches out to numerous student groups. For now, we only have to address one of our choice and design a direct mailer for that group.

I initially attempted to stay within a mental health theme when approaching stakeholders of OU Recruitment Services, but I was unable to find substantial evidence for my first hypothesis about poor mental health affecting university dropouts and performance. While I’m certain there is a relationship, it’s difficult to pinpoint what needs to be done without more data.

When I considered the prompt longer, I realized one related issue I certainly dealt with when starting university was financial support. While the school has resources to assist low income students, it’s difficult to obtain the help needed without knowing who to talk to or where to go, especially when it’s impossible to pay off university today with a minimum wage job (or many others). I was fortunate enough to have the OU Scholars program on my side, but without it, I very well might have dropped out due to excessive financial need.

In that case, how would I define my stakeholder? They would most likely be a 17 to 19-year-old who was accepted at OU and comes from a low income family and/or receives no family support. These students are anticipating classes starting in the fall, but they see some problems with financial aid. Maybe they didn’t get fully covered after completing FAFSA, or perhaps they’ve been fighting with their family, who then pulls out from supporting the student. No matter the reason, they’re wondering who to call that summer and where to go in August, and a message from OU telling them where that support is might just make the difference. They need a reminder that a big university like OU wants as many students as possible to attend, succeed, and graduate, and it’s in OU’s interest to work with low income freshman and keep them on board.

Direct Mailer Draft

I estimated that, given the provided resources on the Financial Aid site, one of the most effective and least known sources would be Financial Education Services, or fED. They provide individual counseling, info sessions, and more about managing finances at OU. I opted to, as I usually do, start off with a simple look and feel. I used OU’s official brand colors to subtly convey OU’s identity, but not overemphasize it.

Designing for Emotion: Chapter 1

While completing this course, we’ve been tasked with reading the e-book, Designing for Emotion by Aarron Walter. Being a fan of other books on A Book Apart (my current favorite being Design is a Job by Mike Monteiro) I was certainly intrigued by what message the book carried. Once I dropped in I realized I had a lot to say about it but not much time to get it out, so hopefully I can do a run-by of my feelings on it!

Chapter 1 defines Walter’s vision of what emotional design means in the context of this book. He criticizes the intense focus placed on 3 core principles of interface design—usability, reliability, and, functionality—which neglects what Walter refers to as “pleasurable” experiences, or the dimension which creates a positive emotional experience. Wufoo gives an idea of what he means; Wufoo is a site which speaks to you as a user, almost a friend, and oozes personality in the way it’s written and visually presented (I mean, look at those adorable dinosaurs). Furthermore, he cites Dr. John Medina’s observation of the powerful connection between emotion and memory and also refers to common, memorable experiences that we use as survival tactics and ways to bond with other people.

I do believe emotional design taps into an element of the human psyche often overlooked by user interface designers, and designers in general. Generating excitement or creating situations that resonate with the user will, certainly, foster a relationship that would have otherwise been dull. Much of the work I’ve done, admittedly, doesn’t address the emotional experience much, but I’m not so sure I’ve lost something for that in what work I’ve done. I’m quite good at generating usable, reliable, and functional interfaces, but I’d (at this moment) argue the need for emotionally compelling design isn’t present in all things. Frankly, certain interfaces, particularly ones a person only wants to spend short amounts of time with does not need much more personality than it has… I don’t particularly desire to have an intimate conversation with the mall directory while I’m rushing to buy last minute Christmas presents. Of course, this book might very well go on to acknowledge such a pitfall! Regardless of my minor disagreement, I’m on board with seeing where else this goes. I do believe human-centric design is right around the corner and can only hope it brings the experiences we want.

I’d recommend calling me if you want me to really unload my thoughts on you about the book. Meanwhile, thanks for your time! See you soon!